Saving money for college (yours or your children’s) is a good thing, even when financial times are tough. Uncle Sam backs up that college-investment philosophy with a variety of savings programs that contain[more…]

Assuming that your designated beneficiary is a qualified student and is incurring qualified expenses, you now need to figure out just how much of a distribution you should make from your Section 529 plan[more…]

A Section 529 savings plan is, in many regards, an investment account. Although states may establish the rules, most of these state-sponsored plans are actually administered by mutual fund companies, or[more…]

A few states have started a movement to meld 529 prepaid tuition plans and 529 savings plans into a hybrid: the guaranteed savings plan. Guaranteed savings plans follow all the rules and requirements of[more…]

Section 529 plans seem to be wrapped in qualifications. Your plan must qualify and so must your student, but don’t allow these endless lists of criteria discourage you from using 529 plans. In order for[more…]

Qualified tuition programs covered under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code are programs that allow you to save money or purchase tuition credits for future college expenses for a specific beneficiary[more…]

Prepaid tuition plans allow you to purchase future college tuition at current costs. The plans can be administered by a specific state or by an institution. The amount of money you put into your prepaid[more…]

Not all Section 529 college savings plans are alike. Some 529 plans allow only residents of their states to participate, while others open their plans up to everyone. There’s an even larger difference[more…]

Although the existence of Section 529 plans and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts seems fairly established, many of the specific regulations governing them aren't. The following list describes some[more…]

Parents (and other relatives) who fund Section 529 plans need to be very conscious of what constitutes a qualified higher education expense and what doesn't. The following table lists qualifying higher[more…]

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